Recessed soap holder



Feb. 27, 1962 J. R. Tum-:K ETAL 3,022,602

RECESSED SOAP HOLDER 2 sheds-sheet 1 Filed April 20, 1960 HU EN HV Feb. 27, 1962 J. R. TUREK ETAL 3,022,602

RECESSED SOAP HOLDER Filed April 20, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 United States Patent O 3,022,602 RECESSED SOAP HOLDER James R. Turek, Johnstown, Pa., and Eugene C. Petrie,

Elmhurst, and Robert B. Attridge, Evergreen Park,

lll., assignors to Crane Co., Chicago, lll., a corporation of Illinois Filed Apr. 20, 1960, Ser. No. 23,398 3 Claims. (Cl. 45-28) This invention relates generally to bathroom trimmings accessory to bathtub, lavatory, and closet bowl installations. More particularly, it is concerned with the type of trimmings ordinarily identified as a soap holder or a tumbler holder.

In order to have a better appreciation of the advantages of this particular contribution, it should be understood in most cases soap holders, or tumbler holders, on occasion are provided with a removable supporting insert member generally made of plastic, glass, metal, or other suitable materials, the purpose obviously being to allow for ease in maintaining a sanitary condition within the recesses of i the said holder. In this connection, it is of course desirable also that such insert member be not only firmly positioned during use against both lateral as well as longitudinal movement in relation to the floor or base of the recessed holder, but also that the said supporting insert member may be easily removed without requiring special tools. Further, it should be easily and conveniently replaced by the average home owner or tenant or other householder.

It is therefore one of the more important objects of the present invention to provide a bathroom fixture of the type hereinafter described in which the insert member by the relatively simple maneuver of lifting and/or tilting the insert member upwardly, permits of the said insert to be easily removed. Also, by an opposite entry approach from the forward and open end of the soap holder housing the said insert member may be installed by sliding it inwardly relative to the housing base. After a limited degree of such movement inwardly to bear against a rear wall defining the inner limits of the housing the insert member may then be permitted to move in a direction arcuately toward the base or oor of the housing and engage a button or pin, the latter positively or frictionally engaging a groove or recess provided on an upturned wall surface either inwardly or outwardly of the insert.

A further object is to provide for a composition, plastic or metal tray or holder in which by predetermined sliding movement relative to the housing opening the insert can be securely attachecd thereto at either a rear portion of the housing or at side portions thereof.

A further object is to provide for a fixture of the character hereinabove referred to in which a semi-concealed pin or button is provided in the back of the housing or on the side walls of the housing whereby to positively or frictionally hold the said insert member in place.

A further object is to provide for an insert member in which the attachment arrangement therefor permits of the employment of a close-fitting insert or soap holder tray in the housing and thus results in a more sanitary assembly with the housing.

Y A further object is to provide for a bathroom soap holder construction in which simple, economical and positive retention means and easy removability are conveniently provided.

Other objects and advantages will become more readily apparent upon proceeding with the following description read in light of the accompanying drawings, in which FIG. 1 is a side exterior view of a soap-or tumblerholder embodying our invention;

ICC

FIG. 2 is a side exterior view of thelsaid holder embodying our invention;

FIGS. 3 and 4 are fragmentary sectional views taken on the lines 3 3 and 4 4 respectively of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4a is a magnified view of the insert attaching means employed in FIG. 4;

FIGS. 5, 6 and 7 are views of a modiied form of our invention; and

FIGS. 8 and 9 are of side and plan sectional views respectively of a further modified form of the invention.

Similar reference numerals refer to similar parts throughout the several views.

Reference is now made to FIG. l. A soap holder or tumbler holder housing 1 is shown which may be made either of sheet metal, plastic, or other suitable composition. It comprises a frame of generally rectangular coniiguration as shown at 2. The housing 1 at its rear portion as at 3 is of generally semi-cylindrical recessed configuration, although the form of the latter is not particularly significant. It will be understood that the housing 1 is formed so as to be mounted within a suitably formed recess or hole in the wall of a bathroom or the like, the engaging edges indicated at 4 of the frame making abutting contact preferably with the face of the bathroom wall so as to thereby conceal the otherwise rough hewn and unsightly edges of the wall opening. For purpose of attachment to the wall as indicated at 5 and 6, the rear Wall portion of the opening 3 of the housing 1 may be suitably secured to construction headers (not shown) by means of nails or screws or the like (also not shown) and with the frame firmly positioned with its surface 4 against the vertical wall surface of the room in which it is installed.

The removable insert member generally designated 7 (FIG. 3) serves as the carrier or support for either soap or a tumbler. The usual ribs 40 serve as contacts for the soap or tumbler. 'Ihe novel means of attachment of the insert to the housing 1 forms the subject matter of this invention.

At the rear portion of the semi-circular portion 3 of the housing, a means of attachment of preferably a halfbolt construction, generally designated 8, is attached by means of a peened over form or rivet form of connection, as at 9. It will be noted that the lower half of the bolt head 11 extends downwardly after predetermined inward movement of the insert member 7 to the position illustrated. It is then mounted within the recess 12 for suitable engagement therewith as indicated more clearly in the enlarged view shown in FIG. 4a. Initially being relatively loosely received therewithin and with a suicient clearance between the pin or button-head 8 and the recess 12, it allows for the insert member to be inserted (and removed) when the insert assumes the position and in the manner indicated by the dotted lines shown in FIG. 4. In the latter position, it will be noted that the insert inner corner portion 13 serves as the bearing or pivot point when the insert 7 is tilted upwardly in being removed (or mounted) and allows for the easy removal (or assembly) within the housing of the said insert member from or upon the floor or base 10. At its forward portion, the insert 7 as shown more clearly at 14 is provided with a downwardly extending ange whereby to assist in obtaining a grip upon said forward portion of the insert when the latter is being positioned within the housing recess 3 as hereinabove described.

As shown more clearly in the transverse plan sectional view of FIG. 3, the insert member 7 ts relatively snugly on its peripheral portion primarily for the purpose of providing a tight juncture therewith and therefore providing greater sanitation. In the latter connection, it will be noted that preferably the upstanding peripherally curved wall 15 of the insert member 7 being preferably made of l By reason Vof such resilient structure and the engagement with the semi-cyiindrical surface 3, the insert bolt head on its rounded surface 17 initially engages the recess at 18,`

as shown more clearly in FIG. 4a. The over-all effect is to assure greater stability and firmness of t vin thepositioning of the insert member. At the same time, there is thus ran allowance for slight resilient displacement of the insert wall outwardly when the insert upper edge 18 of the recess 1,2 contacts the slightly rounded area defined byl the surface 19 of the bolt 8. Such contact will take place immediately upon positioning the insert member 7 within lthe housing, which is shown in FIG. 4, and then takes the final position shownmore cle-arly in FIG. 4a. si'liency eliminates prior objectionable breakage Yatsuch location, and it also provides a nice easily attained adjustment to result in the desired secure assembly of the insert within the said soap holder housing.

There hasaccordingly been provided an insert retaining structure capable not only of holding the insert firmly against relative movement, but it also permits the insert to be easily installed and removed.

vertically disposedslots 23. The detailed construction ofV the siot 23 is more clearly set forth lin the fragmentary section in FIG. 7, the slot being inwardly tapered as indicated at 2.0 so 'as to provide the slot lower widened portion las at ,the open end 24. Thus, it will be apparent that the oppositely disposed slots 23 extend downwardly preferably tothe base surface 10 of the housing and upon which surface the said insert member is supported, the slots vterminating Awith said open end. construction, as distinguished from that shown in FIG. 4, in installing the insert member it is simply slipped over the inner end portions of buttons or pins so that the oppositely disposed slots L23 correspond with theV pins 21.Y

Therefore, by simply moving the entire insert member 7 downwardly in a direction'toward the housing base or floor 10, the insert is placed fumiy and securely in position` Aand thereby held against accidental removal. Y In this construction, it will likewise be yappreciated that the upper outer edge of the insert yas indicated at 16 of the wall 15 of the insert 7 bears securely 'and in substantially uidtight relation against the inner periphery of the semi-cylindrical surface 3 tozencourage the easy maintenance of a Specifically, soap suds, water, and

sanitary condition. the like are effectively prevented from entering upon the Vsurface 3 behind the insert wall 15. YIt has been found that this arrangement also keeps the screws or bolts 16 from being adversely affected by moisture to ,cause ycorrosion or rusting, and so forth, otherwise resulting if a tight joint is not provided Vbetween the insert 7 and the It has been found that such structure with its re-V In this modified' 8. In this modification, it is to 4be noted thatfo-r the purpose of frictionally holding the insert member 7 firmly in the housing 1, each of the oppositely disposed slotted portions 25 is provided with the surface 27 which in extending larcu-ately inwardly slightly functions as a camlike configuration. Thus, the pins 271 as they initially enter the horizontal slot 2,5 will follow a radius departing from that defining the insert outer surface 15. Therefore, as

the insert member is moved inwardly toward the surface V3 of the housing 1, each of the surfaces 27 of the grooves will frictionally or slidingly engage vthe inner end surface portions 28 of the pins 21. The latter members are riveted firmly in place in a `manner similarfto that described in connection with the other figures. The overall effect of the said frictional engagement between the surface 27 of the insert member and the inner end surface 23 of the pin 21 is to function substantially in the samermanner as the pitched vertical surface 20 of FIG. 7 when the insert member is -fnally positioned firmly in place on the housing door or base 10.

In-this construction, it will also be understood that the insert member 7 when being assembled within the holder housing 1 is tipped slightly upwardly .so that its lower corner surface 13 serves as the slidable contact pivot point during such time as the pins 2-1 are moving in the slot portion 27 toward the portion 26. The ultimate connection as the pins 21 enter the latter slot portion to engage the pin end surface 28 provides the assurance of a tight and sanitary juncture between the said inner surface 3 of the housing andthe upper peripheral wall surface 15 of the insert member 7. Y

In other respects, the operation of the modified forms follows the general principle of securement described in the first mentioned figures.

It will be clear that the embodiments here illustrative of the inventionare relatively economical and simple in construction, and provide an ease of installation or removal viu'th respect to the insert member from the said housing that is highly desirable.

It Will also be apparent that although several embodiments of the invention have been shown, many other changes in constructionY may be made without departing from Vthe scope of the invention as set forth in the following claims. Y

We claim:

1. A soap `holder or the like for mounting in a wall opening, said holder having a housing with a base and defined at a forward portion thereof with a marginal frame and anopening extending rearwardly of the frame, a pin mounted on a wall defining a rear limit of the opening within said frame of the housing, the pin having a Y head, the underside of the head being tapered and spaced .from said opening rear limit, a soap supporting insert for entering and conforming with the base, the said insert having a rear wall substantially conforming with the wall defining said rear limit of the housing opening, the said rear wall of the insert being formed with a socket, the upper portion thereof being suitably cut away to closely engage a shoulder portion of said pin formed by said tapered underside of the head .whereby to maintain the said insert against substantial endwise movement relative to thesaid housing base, an outer peripheral portion of the said insert at this stage of its positioning on the base being snugly drawn against inner wall .surfaces defining the said opening to form a relatively tight joint therebetween.

n 2. A recessed rsoap holder for mounting in a wall opening, said holder having a housing with a base and defined at a forward portion thereof with a marginal frame and an opening within the frame rearwardly thereof, a pin mounted on a rounded Wall defining a rear limit of the opening within said frame of the housing, the said pin having a head portion spaced from the rounded wall, a soap supporting insert for entering and conforming with the base. the said insert having a rear Wall conformnmm n ing with the rounded wall defining said rear limit of the housing opening, an upper surface on the rear wall portion of the insert being relieved at an upper portion thereof, the head portion of said pin being downwardly tapered on an Iinner transverse edge for engaging an inner vertioally extending surface of the upper relieved portion of the insert to retain the said insert against substantial endwise movement relative to the said housing base, at least an outer arcuate portion of the insert bearing snugly against an inner annular portion of the rounded wall dening the opening within the frame and rearwardly thereof.

3. A soap holder for mounting in a Wall opening, said holder having a housing with a base and deiined at a forward portion thereof with a marginal frame and an opening Within the frame, a pin mounted on a wall dening a rear limit of the opening within said frame of the housing, the pin having a head portion in spaced relation to said wall dening the rear limit of said opening, a soap supporting insert for entering and conforming with the base, the said insert having a rear wall conforming with the wall defining said rear limit of the housing opening, the said rear wall of the insert being relieved at an upper portion thereof and of inverted T-conliguration when viewed in plan and engaging an inner end downwardly tapered portionv of said pin head to retain the insert against substantial endwise movement relative to the said housing.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

